Eskimohunter

I was checking out a few of the record labels on my MySpace friends list and on the group this past weekend and noticed a band I had seen on a couple of music blogs as being a part of their lineup. Santa Monica, CA based SoSweet Records is the label I am referring to. They've been on my friends list on MySpace for quite some time so it's always kind of fun when I end up matching things up that way. After re-finding it and downloading I was sure of today's feature.




















Los Angeles band Eskimohunter is the music of Jason71. The more I read about his various art projects (Eskimohunter included) the more impressed I become. The band was formed in 2002 and the song today is from the early 2005 6 song + 3 video EP Musical Snowglobe Machine. As I mentioned above, you can grab it at the SoSweet Records website. The Eskimohunter website is under construction at the time of writing, so you will need to visit the band's MySpace page as well as Jason71 on MySpace. This is really dreamy stuff and I can hear the Spiritualized thing going on for sure.
















MP3: Walking Tour of Space

The Sky Drops

I had no idea what I was going to feature to follow up this past weekend, but after the first few seconds of this song it became an easy choice . When a band actually throws me back out of my chair I consider it beyond shoegaze. The comparison here is instant and obvious so I will not even mention it. Well... I probably will have to at some point. Just not this second.















The Sky Drops are a two piece from Wilmington, Delaware. If you haven't guessed by now they sound almost exactly like My Bloody Valentine. In a very good way that is. They've only been around since last year and are not currently signed to a record label!! (I can't see that going on for much longer). They have two songs available for download on the Sky Drops Website and their show schedule is mostly reserved for the northeastern states. They will be touring the UK in September. If Rob and Monika were looking to re-create the sound of the early 90s they not only hit the mark; they set a new standard for this particular genre. Check their MySpace page for updates, shows etc. This is great stuff.















Note to band: you might want to consider ordering some X-large t-shirts to sell on your website. Large looks like medium after the first wash. Let me know when you get them in.

Yours truly, ~ Mr. Monkeyarms

MP3: Now Would Be

Bob Mould

Where do I start when it comes to my favorite musician of all time?? This is going to be a tough one so I'll just start typing and see where it takes me. This is a man who many people will tell you defined an entire genre of music. Today's song is from Bob Mould's untitled 1996 release that is affecionately referred to as Hubcap. Let's get started.













As many of you know, Bob Mould was most of the driving force behind the early 80's band Hüsker Dü. They were the first hardcore band to sign onto a major record label (Warner Brothers) and are regarded as one of, if not the, key bands that influenced what we now term Alternative Rock. I must have caught on around 1984 when a friend's older brother had Hüsker Dü blasting from his bedroom window while we played touch football in the street. We all wanted to know what it was. It was Zen Arcade.





























After Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould set out on his own with his first solo release in 1989. Workbook took a much different direction than his previous work. It's one of my definite favorites. During the early 90's, Mould formed the band Sugar which received far more radio attention. This band offered his sound to those who were just discovering alternative music during its new found popularity.





























The late 90's saw more of Mould's solo work and eventual disappearance from the radar. It turns out that Bob had become part of the creative team for WCW pro wrestling!! He was also living in NYC and dabbling in electronica. He had an electric dance release under the name LoudBomb and a hybrid electric/rock album in 2002. He still is part of a live DJ performance series Blowoff in his current home of Washington D.C. with artist Richard Morel. Bob Mould returned for 2005 with Body of Song and the sound plenty of us know and love. He tours quite frequently now and also has a blog to check out. Check my MySpace blog also for a ton of pics from Oct. 2005 in Detroit.














MP3: Thumbtack

Bob Mould's blog

The Medics

Looking for really good new indie rock that flies under the radar? I've got the perfect place to start. Any time a band mentions Hüsker Dü as an influence; my attention is immediately drawn to them. When that band is actually good, it makes this music-searching thing all worthwhile. I heard today's featured song before seeing any pictures of the band. When I did finally see them I was surprised. These are really young guys putting this sound out there.















The Medics are a four-piece band from New Jersey that formed just a couple of years ago. From what I gather, they play locally for now and have quite the enthusiastic fanbase.















Their debut 7-song EP Shangri La came out last summer and was produced by John DeNicola of Omad Records. You can purchase it through CD Baby for $7. The Medics website has additional info and yes, they are on MySpace. What a way to kick off the long weekend.













MP3: Bloody Up Your Dress

Tomihira

I've said it before and it still holds true. I usually do not re-feature artists until they have a new release or project in the works. With that said, I have more than a good reason to give you today's re-featured artist, while at the same time, giving you an incredible cover song. This New Order cover has been my profile music for the past couple of days. Now you get the high quality version with no sound tags.





























Tomihira is the music of San Francisco, California musician Dean Tomihira. I originally featured his band a few months back and the response was highly favorable, to put it lightly. If you haven't heard any of his other music I suggest you go ASAP (after this song of course) to his MySpace page to hear more. After that visit you will probably want to check out the Tomihira website where you can download quite a bit of his new 2006 release Play Dead. You can also buy it there for $5 USD and get a bonus CD with several additional tracks. When I received mine it came looking like some sort of press pack. Very cool.















Today's featured song is not on that CD, and that's a good segue into the big news. Tomihira was chosen to appear on the latest New Order tribute album as a result of this version of Mr. Disco. You can read about it at New Order Online. If you have any questions send a quick message to Tomihira via his MySpace page. Dean is a great guy and would be happy to hear what you think.















MP3: Mr. Disco

Okay Paddy

Pat Finnerty and Mike Quinn are cousins who have been playing music together since they were kids. Scranton, Pennsylvania is home to their four-piece indie rock band, Okay Paddy. In most reviews I read they are compared to Weezer and Pavement, but I'll go with Ramones and a touch of Replacements in the rich guitar sound. Another shared sentiment I found in the reviews is that this band is highly underrated. I'll have to agree.














Okay Paddy is signed to Prison Jazz Records who released their early 2006 LP The Cactus Has a Point. The songs were recorded in the band's garage/studio that they call Old Brown Shoe. There are a few additional MP3s to download on the Okay Paddy website and, as in most cases, they have a MySpace page to check out.


























MP3: Where's The Taste

(The Sounds of) Kaleidoscope

Washington, D.C. is a hotbed for music and I spend far too little time visiting that town in search of it. For some reason it falls off the radar and I have no idea why. (The sounds of) Kaleidoscope are a shoegaze-tastic (I know I know) band from that area that had me going through as many songs as I could find today in my office. Somewhere between really good psych-rock and MBV is where I would place what I heard. Some of the songs are a heavier rock sound that you might really like. I featured this one because it fit well for today. Damien C. Taylor is the main man of the operation. He started the band in 1995 and the lineup continues to change, or so I read.














The first full-length release is titled From Where You Were to How You Got There and came out in February of this year. It would be available from Hackshop Records, were it not for the fact that that site, as well as the (The Sounds Of) Kaleidoscope website (where - at least, when you can get on there - you can find a live video to check out.) Instead you will have to visit their MySpace page for more music and info. Shoegaze-tastic... I had to say that again to be ridiculous.

This was truly a good find!! Gotta love the wall of guitar sound. Enjoy.

MP3: New Language

Kite Flying Society

If you've looked at any music blog during the past three weeks or so you will have already heard about this one. I usually try to stay away from bands when I see EVERY blogger posting on them. I call this phenomenon the John Vanderslice Effect (I'm joking...really). Anyway, this one was all over the place and, now that I listen, for good reason. Kite Flying Society is a 7-piece band from San Diego, California that pretty much just play locally in Southern California. They do not have a website or a record label. This might seem pretty amazing once you are done listening to the song featured here today. From what I gathered they were formed just last year and have a debut release entitled Where is the Glow? coming out on July 28th. How or where to buy it remains a mystery so you will have to keep checking the Kite Flying Society MySpace page for details and updates. This is a beautiful song. High recommendations from Caseyland, and glad I finally checked it out.















MP3: If I Could Split

***UPDATE 20/05/2006: It seems that Kite Flying Society DO now have a website... check it out.***

Magnapop

In 1994 I was in college at Ohio University and would put my stereo speakers outside of the window. I'd crank this CD while drinking beer and throwing a dog-chewed Frisbee over car traffic passing on our crowded intersection with my friend Jon. I had no idea how much this band had been touched by greatness. Well... I did kinda know. This little write-up on the band will look like a "Who's Who" list of alternative rock.









Atlanta, Georgia based band Magnapop was formed in 1990. Lead vocalist Linda Hopper had already met Michael Stipe of REM in a design course at the University of Georgia. They were roomates for a while and Michael ended up producing the demo tracks that would be the band's first release. The song featured here in the group was from the album Hot Boxing (1994). It was produced by the big man himself. Yep... Mr. Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü fame. Speaking of Hüsker Dü, listen to the guitars of Ruth Morris in most Magnapop songs and you will be reminded of Mould's guitar sound. Juliana Hatfield met the band in West Virginia while touring with them and was so taken with the guitar stylings of Ruth Morris that she wrote the song Ruthless. Check out the Magnapop website for details on the latest release Mouthfeel. You can buy it on Amy Ray's (Indigo Girls) label Daemond Records. There is a Magnapop MySpace page also. You can't go wrong with any release you pick up from this band. I don't say that very often.














MP3: Here It Comes

Lab Partners

If I got in my car and drove west for one and a half hours I would end up in Dayton, Ohio. That city is home to plenty of good bands including the spacerock quartet Lab Partners. Mike Smith and Amy Smith started the band in 1998. In a couple of different reviews I read, their sound was compared to Spiritualized. I can kind of hear that somewhere behind the noticeably meatier guitars that develop in most songs. Lab Partners do not have a bass player; instead they rely on Amy's keyboards to fill the low end.














The song featured here is from the July 2005 release Wicked Branches and is available through their label Reverb Records. If you visit the Lab Partners website there are two more songs from the album. There also is a really amusing story about their recent west coast tour and what happened at the Las Vegas show... (a story that pretty much turned me off to The Pandas). Lab Partners can also to be found in MySpaceland, of course.


























I'm going to have to start featuring more Ohio bands. There really are some good ones out there.

MP3: Love Don't Care

The Happy People

The Happy People are a band from Stockholm, Sweden that were formed almost exactly 3 years ago on Easter 2003. The song featured here is off the first of two demos they have. I couldn't find anywhere on The Happy People website where either were for sale, but there are 6 songs available to download. After checking out the site further it seems they play shows between home and London, UK quite often. I don't believe they have been to the States.















I was almost sure by looking at the name that The Happy People were going to be a rough and tumble outfit, but I was wrong. They actually do sound pretty happy!! Check their MySpace page also. Happy Tuesday!















MP3: Shake Along Son

Silversun Pickups

I finally got to hear Los Angeles, California based Silversun Pickups yesterday and was really impressed. After listening to them I think you will agree that this is simply some great indie rock. Next week they start a 5-show run up the west coast so check out the Silversun Pickups website for the specific venue and date info. The band has an available EP from last year and now their first full-length release Carnavas which will be available July 25th. Check out Dangerbird Records to find out more. Thereis a Silversun Pickups MySpace page and they are also part of an artist community called The Ship that record at a studio of the same name.


















Lead singer/Guitarist Brian Aubert sums the music up nicely in the following quote from the official band bio: "We like loud, growly guitar, but we use it in a way I think is pretty", says the singer-guitarist. "The guitars hum. They're big but warm, not something that's gonna make your ears freak out. We like melodies a lot, and when the guitars are going nuts, those can get lost. We love bands like Can and NEU! and My Bloody Valentine and white noise and these really long, bizarre things, but we also love listening to oldies and singing in the car. As much as we love that cool, avant-garde stuff, we can't help but have a song somewhere in there that you can hum along to."

















MP3: Lazy Eye

Frightened Rabbit

I love songs that build and build like this. Frightened Rabbit are two brothers from Glasgow, Scotland. Grant and Scott started home-recording their music in 2004 and really do a good job of it. There isn't any other band I can liken them to and that's usually, as in this case, a good thing. They are playing Brighton (one of my favorite towns) tonight and releasing their debut CD on Monday May 22nd. Sing the Greys is available for pre-order on Hits The Fan Records. The label also has a MySpace page for more info. Check out the really cool Frightened Rabbit Website but disable your pop-up blocker first. And as ever.. visit their MySpace page to hear plenty more songs.

These pictures are great...


























MP3: Go Go Girls

Shapes and Sizes

After hearing today's featured music, I thought I had just listened to 3 separate songs. They manage to fit quite a bit of goodness in less than 5 minutes. Shapes and Sizes are an indie pop quartet from Vancouver, B.C. Canada. After the song kicks in, Built to Spill instantly comes to mind. I know that might seem like a stretch but, now that I think about it, even the band's press photo (as seen below) reminds me of the cover of the Ultimate Alternative Wavers album.






























That comparison, however, quickly disappears towards the end of the song as the band chants the chorus gleefully. Shapes and Sizes signed to Asthmatic Kitty Records earlier this year and have a new self-titled CD to be released July 25th. It will be available in Europe via Labelman on or around the same date. Check the Shapes and Sizes website for another downloadable song and of course their MySpace page also. Happy Tuesday.





























MP3: Island's Gone Bad

Mission of Burma

This is a difficult one for me to write up. Mission of Burma was on absolutely every mix tape I ever made for anyone during the 80s. They are up there among bands I would consider massively influential to current and more recent artists. I'll just come out and say it. If you ask most people to name a song by this band you will likely get one of two answers. I had a hard time deciding which one of those songs to feature on "Classic Sunday" here. I figured it would be best to start at the beginning so Academy Fight Song it is!! This song was the first single for Mission of Burma. It was released on Ace of Hearts Records in 1980 and was also a track on the 1981 EP Signals, Calls and Marches. Mission of Burma was only around for four years and had a major impact. You won't find many arguments about that.


















Instead of regurgitating the details of a band of this magnitude, I will simply encourage you to visit the Mission of Burma website to read the official history. They reformed in 2002 and have a brand new release, Obliterati, coming out May 23rd. They are on Matador Records now and currently playing shows out west. A limited tour starts in July and I'll get to see them in Cincinnati at the Lite Brite Test Festival on 7/29. I can't wait!! Also check the MoB myspace page.



















MP3s: Academy Fight Song and 2wice

Diktendo

I featured Swedish band City Lights a while back here in the group. I've gone back and listened to their music quite a bit since. Little did I know at the time, but one of the members of that band has a side project. Diktendo is the music of Magnus Wahlstrom of City Lights.


























The song featured is some really nice electro-pop and is on the latest EP Sweet and Tender, As We Are which came out last week. The EP is available on the Melodrama label for 25 kroner ($3.50 USD) + shipping. I checked out the Diktendo website to find that Magnus has several songs released and downloads available. He is currently working on new material for what I hope will be yet another EP. I then checked out the Diktendo MySpace page to find a surprise. Not one, but two people from my MySpace top 8 are on the friends list there also!! Small world ah? You folks are in big trouble for not clueing me in on this great music... big trouble!!


























Happy Saturday.

MP3: The Tune I Call November

Soltero

The song featured today was embedded on my own MySpace page for quite some time. The Moment You Said Yes is a wild ride that is tied neatly at both ends. If you listen through to the end of the song I can almost guarantee you will be hooked. It's from the 2003 release Defrocked and Kicking the Habit which can be purchased on the Handsome Records label. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based Soltero is the music of Tim Howard. He has various musicians that assist him and the lineup changes often.














The band's latest release Hell Train came out November 2005 and is available on their current label Three Ring Circus. There are a ton of great mp3 downloads on the Soltero website. Also on the site are some good stories in the blog-like news section if you read around the political commentary. Soltero inhabits a MySpace site that you can visit as well. Tim Howard's songwriting ability is strong and immediately apparent. You really can't go wrong picking up any of the Soltero material. Highly Recommended!!














MP3: The Moment You Said Yes

The Cadets

Have I featured a Florida band on here yet? I'm not sure that I have. The Cadets are from Jacksonville, Florida. They started playing together in the mid 90s and came out with a couple of singles. In the band bio they compare singer Chuck Smyth's vocals to a cat being throttled. I was thinking more along the lines of Jay Farrar from Son Volt.















Here is an amusing excerpt from the band's bio regarding their early days: "In college, the band grew into its current and permanent line-up of 001, 003, 007 (Isaac Bear), and 009 (Chad Matheny), and attempted several furtive tour marches across the East Coast in an abused 1980 Chevrolet van previously owned by a local country radio station, the exterior of which was adorned by a six foot tall airbrushed painting of the station mascot, a slender denim-clad rooster in a cowboy hat and sunglasses. Tiring of typical men-in-van tours, the band arranged a two week whirlwind raid of Japan, carrying instruments and merch on their backs and arriving at concerts via shinkansen and subways in venues across metro Tokyo, the Kansai, and southern Honshu."
























In 2002 The Cadets released Finding the Straight and Level which is still available on Snowglobe Records. After that the band broke up. At the end of 2005 they reformed and are now part of the Discos! Mariscos! label. They have a forthcoming release, On the Death of Science as a Major World Religion which will be available some time in 2006. The featured song is from the new release. Check out The Cadets on MySpace also.

MP3: Pax Cadetia