tool

10,000 days (2006)

"Formed around 1990 in Los Angeles, California, United States, Tool is a band that is most noted for combininghard rock with a wide variety of progressive structures, irregular time signatures and lyrics that range from angry diatribes to meditations on philosophical and social matters.

After performing a handful of shows in the Los Angeles area and up the West Coast, they toured in the United States with Rollins Band in the summer of 1992 in support of their EP Opiate. Their first full length recording, Undertow, was released in 1993.

Emerging with a groovy heavy metal sound on their first release, when the genre was dominated by thrash metal, they were later seen at the top of the alternative metal movement with the release of their second full-length studio album Ænima in 1996, the first recording the band made after original bassist Paul d’Amour left the band to form Lusk. After an ongoing evolution of their sound and continuous efforts to unify musical experimentation, visual arts, and a message of personal evolution on Lateralus (2001), their most recent album 10,000 Days (2006), as well as respective tours, they are generally described as a style-transgressing act and part of progressive and art rock."

Last FM Tags: progressive metal, progressive rock, metal, rock, alternative

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Don't ask. Just download. NOW

metric

Plug In, Plug Out (2009)

"Formed in Toronto in 1998 but, at various times, based in Montreal, London, New York and L.A., Metric is a band that has embraced an eclectic and adventurous outlook — the group’s music encompasses elements of synth pop, new wave, dance, rock, and electronic. Metric’s fourth studio album, “Fantasies”, has been shortlisted for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize.

Haines and Shaw also perform with Broken Social Scene, and Haines has been a guest on albums by Stars, kc accidental, Delerium, The Stills, and Jason Collett. Scott-Key and Winstead have their own side project, bang lime, and Haines has released two solo albums under the name Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton.

Metric is also featured on the Cannes-awarded (Best Actress) film “Clean”, playing themselves.

Their songs “Monster Hospital”, “Police and the Private”, “Blindness” and “Front Row” have been used on the television show Grey’s Anatomy. “Monster Hospital” has also been used in CSI: Miami and “Gold Gun Girls” has been used on Gossip Girl, Zombieland and Entourage. Gossip Girl also featured “Gimme Sympathy” in the same episode

Their latest album, Fantasies, was released in 2009."

Last FM Tags: indie, indie rock, female vocalists, canadian, alternative

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Don't know much about this band except that this is one of the best EP's i've heard this year.

This is an acoustic record...

You know how some bands are really good with all the energy and options they have in the studio but suck once they go acoustic?

Well, this is NOT one of those bands.

They absolutely kill every track on this album. The singer is perfect for their sound the lyrics are sincere; you can tell that the Emily Haines really means what she is singing about. Excellent EP, download it.

Oh yeah... get "Fantasies" too. Five stars for both of them.

Fantasies (2009)

aphex twin

Drukqs (2001)

"Aphex Twin, born Richard David James, August 18, 1971, in Limerick, Ireland to Welsh parents Lorna and Derek James, is an electronic music artist. He grew up in Cornwall, United Kingdom and started producing music around the age of 12.

Richard has been hailed as “the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music” with his works ranging from ambient pieces to acid techno.

Quoted in Mixmag Richard said ' I just love electronics and music and putting the two together just came naturally. I did electronics in college. Electronic music is just so lush basically I love messing with acid, jungle, and playing it out to my mates in a night club. Get out there and dance. Let’s have it! If anyone’s coming to my shows I just want everybody to just dance and have a laugh basically.' At a Rephlex party in 2001 Aphex Twin was asked by a journalist if he used the term IDM and he replied 'only for rubbish mp3.com music that I don’t really like, basically if I say that it’s for something shit that I don’t care about. It’s just funny how online people just copy each other and it’s so lazy. Quite funny I reckon.'"

Last FM Tags: electronic, idm, ambient, experimental, electronica

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

When it comes to electronic music, Aphex Twin is the way to go.

Here is my favorite track on the album.

nurses

To immerse yourself in Nurses’ Apple’s Acre is to delight in a certain mental unraveling. These are songs where the vulnerability of pop with its heart on its sleeve engages in a double-dutch jumprope match with the euphoric surrender-to-the-weird that is essential to psychedelia. And Nurses is a band that scavenges beauty and wonder, uncovering Technicolor where others see somber hues. Their off-kilter psych-pop is driven by ever-swelling vocal harmonies, adventurous electronics, some serious wheelin’ and dealin’ on the Rhodes piano, and the kind of new-primitivist percussion that may or may not involve a standard drum kit.

I found this band through the blog Honey From The Bees, which is a really awesome music blog I found a little while ago. I get a lot of my music from this blog so check it out.

(Thanks a lot to the creator if you end up seeing this!!!)

Apple's Acre (2009)

Hangin' Nothin' But Our Hands Down (2007)

This band is soooooooooooooooo good. Watch this video to hear them in action.

daft punk

Discovery (2001)

Daft Punk is a multi Grammy Award-winning electronic music duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (born February 8, 1974) andThomas Bangalter (born January 3, 1975). The duo is considered one of the most successful electronic music collaborations of all time, both in album sales and in critical acclaim. After Daft Punk reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement inFrance, other artists such as Air, Cassius, and Dimitri from Paris began to receive a similar amount of attention.

COME ON YOU GOTTA KNOW DAFT PUNK

yeah, I know, cheesy, but i dont care.

Last FM Tags: electronic, dance, house, electronica, techno

My Rating: ★★★★★

donnie darko soundtrack + score

Donnie Darko Soundtrack + Score (2004)

Ok, so here is the soundtrack and score for one of my favorite movies, "Donnie Darko."

This score is one of the best movie scores I have ever heard.

It is produced by Michael Andrews...

Andrews is most famous for his cover of the Tears for Fears song called "Mad World" which he produced with musician Gary Jules.

The score is extremely weird and fitting to the movie in which it's involved.

(btw if you haven't seen Donnie Darko you're missin out man)

The soundtrack, on the other hand, is much different from the score (obviously).

It includes bands such as Joy Division, Echo & The Bunnymen, and INXS.

It isn't the greatest soundtrack of all time, but it's pretty good.

check it out.

ras-idren

Good To Go

First of all let me say, this is NOT a well produced album. In fact, it is not even a good album at all.

(but it is pretty funny)

Here's the story...

A few years ago I went on vacation to a Caribbean island called St. Kitts. One day I ended up going to this cool flea-market type place and as I was walking I saw this dude chillin' on a log. He wasn't just chillin' on a log though, he was blasting his album through these HUGE speakers.

dude was a total g.

I talked to him for about 15 minutes about rasta-love and praising Jah and then bought his album.

It takes some major balls to sit in a public space and blast your music for everyone to hear. I give this dude mucho kudos for that.

Much respect, keepin' rastafari spirit alive.

the veils

Sun Gangs (2009)

The Veils (formed in 2002) are a New Zealand band based in London, fronted by Finn Andrews. Their sound has been compared to artists as diverse as Jeff Buckley,The Birthday Party, The Smiths, and Joy Division. Their live shows have become famed for their emotional intensity and Finn’s often scarily possessed stage presence.

They released their debut album, The Runaway Found, in Spain late in 2003. The first single from the album, Lavinia, was released through Rough Trade on November 24, 2003. They released the album globally in January 2004 with a different track listing. It went gold worldwide the following year.

Last FM Tags: indie, indie rock, alternative, new zealand, rock

My Rating: ★★★★

The same one of my mom's friends who showed me The Teeth showed me this band (she has really good taste in music)

Apparently their debut record is GREAT but I have yet to hear it so I don't have anything to say about it.

This album is pretty damn good, not amazing but some decent stuff.

I am obsessed with this song right now. So listen to it.

Also check out the song "It Hits Deep."

bouncing souls

The Bouncing Souls are a punk band, formed in 1987. They are originally from New Brunswick, New Jersey. By the time they were recognized by the national punk scene, they had reignited a “pogo” element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-hearted songs, a model followed by various other local bands (e.g. Blanks 77 and the Bristles). In the early stages of their career, they played a hybrid of punk, funk, metal, and just about anything else they felt like including. They were known for their energetic live shows, albeit with an amateurish element on their recordings at that stage. Soon, they had whittled it down to their own brand of punk, and become one of the most popular bands in the punk scene.

I am going to post a few albums by them because they are all freaking amazing.

★★★★★

for all of them

Last FM Tags: punk, punk rock, pop punk, rock, hardcore

How I Spent My Summer Vacation (2001)

Maniacal Laughter (1996)

Anchors Away (2003)

Hopeless Romantic (1999)

I could go on but I wont.

enjoy.

avail

Dixie (1994)

Avail is a punk band from Richmond, Virginia. Originally from Northern Virginia, the band formed in 1987, its members including Joe Banks, Doug Crosby, Brian Stewart and Mikey Warstler. The only original remaining member, guitar player Joe Banks, teamed up with rival band LDK's (Learning Disabled Kids) Tim Barry. They moved to Richmond in 1990, and soon, after numerous line up changes, put together a solid lineup to release their first album in 1992. They play punk music, with heartfelt lyrics and melodic breakdowns. Many of their lyrics are about Richmond.

Avail is on 'permanent standby' as per Tim Barry's interview on Dope Sick Radio #40. Tim mentions in the interview "let's just say it's a thing of the past" - wiki

Last FM Tags: punk, punk rock, hardcore, hardcore punk, melodic hardcore

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Yet another band my old camp counselor introduced me to. I saw them play at First Unitarian years ago and they let me sit on stage next to them while they performed. They have one member who doesn't play any instruments or sing; his sole job is to dance as hard as he can while the band members are playing.

Needless to say it was awesome.

face to face

Big Choice (1995)

Face to Face is a punk rock band from California. Formed in 1991, the group was initially signed by Dr. Strange Records, later moving to Fat Wreck Chords. Their first big hit “Disconnected” was played by KROQ and appeared in the movies Tank Girl and National Lampoon’s Senior Class Trip. Their song “Devil You Know (God is a Man)” appeared in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 1) and on the accompanying series soundtrack album.The group recently reformed after disbanding in 2003. During the break various members collaborated on projects such as Viva Death, The Legion of Doom and Trever Keith’s solo record.

Last FM Tags: punk, punk rock, pop punk, rock, alternative

My Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

My Camp counselor from when I was like thirteen years-old showed me this band.

(he was the man)

really good punk band. very solid album.

aa bondy

When The Devil's Loose (2009)

A.A. Bondy is actually the birth name (the initials stand for Auguste Arthur) of Scott Bondy, the former lead singer of Birmingham, AL’s Southern grunge darlings Verbena. After Verbena broke up in 2003, Bondy retreated to his Catskills home in Palenville in upstate New York and in time began writing songs again, emerging with a stripped-down indie folk sound. He recorded and mixed his debut solo album, American Hearts, at a barn near his home, releasing the project in 2007 on the Superphonic imprint. The album was picked up by Fat Possum and re-released early in 2008.

Bondy’s latest album ‘When The Devil’s Loose’ is available in the US and (most) European countries from september 1st, 2009.

Last FM Tags: folk, alt-country, singer-songwriter, americana, alabama

My Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

I found this guy on itunes recently and downloaded this album. The first song started "The Mightiest of Guns" and I was like ok, this is pretty good. After about 30 more seconds I was like OOOO shit. very nice.

t. rex

The Slider (1972)

Initially a psychedelic folk-rock combo called Tyrannosaurus Rex , T.Rex was a primary force in glam rock, thanks to the creative direction of guitarist/vocalist Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld). Bolan created a deliberately trashy form of rock and roll that was proud of its own disposability, which stood in contrast to the low-key whimsical poetry of the earlier duo. T. Rex’s music borrowed the underlying sexuality of early rock & roll, adding dirty, simple grooves and fat distorted guitars, as well as an overarching folky/hippie spirituality that always came through the clearest on ballads. While most of his peers concentrated on making cohesive albums, Bolan kept the idea of a three-minute pop single alive in the early 1970s. In Britain, he became a superstar, sparking a period of “T.Rextacy” among the pop audience with a series of Top Ten hits, including four number one singles. Over in America, the group only had one major hit — the Top Ten “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” — before disappearing from the charts in 1973. T.Rex’s popularity in the U.K. didn’t begin to waver until 1975, and they retained a devoted following until Marc Bolan’s death in 1977. Over the next three decades, Bolan has emerged as a cult figure and the music of T.Rex has proved quite influential on hard rock, punk,new wave, and alternative rock.

Last FM Tags: glam rock, classic rock, rock, 70s, glam

My Rating: ★★★★★

GREAT album. A friend of mine showed me this band in the beginning of the year and I've been hooked ever since.

A lot of people like the more popular 1971 album "Electric Warrior" and I must admit it was a hard decision between the two. BUT all in all I had to go with "The Slider." This is glam rock in its finest form. RIP Marc Bolan.

ahhh what the hell, fine. I'll post Electric Warrior too...

Electric Warrior (1971)

My Rating: ★★★★★

Once Tyrannosaurus Rex officially abbreviated their name to T. Rex, they started releasing "electric" glam albums instead of acoustic and folky ones. Although this wasn't their first "electric" album (their first one was called T. Rex, 1970) This was the one that blasted them into stardom and started the infamous "t-rextacy."

black moth super rainbow

Dandelion Gum (2007)

Black Moth Super Rainbow came from the woods of western Pennsylvania. An actual, five-member band without the expected laptops and sequencers, BMSR is a psych-electro group in early-’70s electronic clothing. All are lovingly played by real people with real hands.

Members prefer to go by aliases and stay away from normal press photos, in an attempt to keep the focus on their music. Led by Tobacco (Vox), who does most of the writing and production, the band also consists of Father Hummingbird (rhodes and monosynth), The Seven Fields Of Aphelion (monosynth), Ryan Graveface (bass and guitar) and Iffernaut (drums). By developing their ideas in near-seclusion and without any local influence in Pittsburgh, they come across as feral and unique. Imagine being able to wipe the slate clean and hear a pop song without ever having heard a pop song before—replacing the types of melodies you’re accustomed to hearing with something completely different. It’s kind of like that.

Most people associate sounds like a vocoded vocal with techno and novelty and analog synths with electro, but BMSR is coming from a different place and are trying to recontextualize these sounds. They’re categorized in the electronic genre, but their heads are somewhere else.

Last FM Tags: psychedelic, experimental, electronic, indie, post-rock

My Rating: ★★★★★

chewing bubble guuuuuum lying in a fieeeld.