Out Sounds

Saturday, November 12, 2011

R.I.P. Out Sounds

I've decided to shut this bad boy down; seems like I get a DMCA notice every few days now and a lot of the older posts have just simply vanished into thin air. Combine that fact with Rapidshare's overall crappiness and the decision to shut it all down becomes easier.

Plus, (and I hate to say it but it's true) Spotify has basically made blogs like these obsolete. Why fill up your own hard drive and have to buy bigger and bigger data storage devices to satiate our need as completists to own every single record ever made (which is impossible) when there's a really cheap service that does it all for you?

As a friend of mine recently said, (and he works in the industry as a producer/engineer, pretty well known but I'll keep him anonymous since he's a super rad guy) "this is how we make our living..." I don't want to get into a debate again about stealing/sharing, etc. but I had a hilarious e-mail battle last year with the merch guy from Stones Throw Records (that went on for like a week) and another e-mail from Justin Moyer of Antelope (now-defunct Dischord Records band) in which I returned asking a series of pointed questions that he never responded to. I have to admit it, but you guys are totally within your right when representing the label/artist/etc.'s view of music sharing (a term I'll continue to use; I would only call it stealing if I made money off of it) and since there's such a nebulous cloud around myself in terms of what I think is right and wrong, it's easier just to say "forget it".

Basically, I'm over it.

I love all of you that have DL'ed, commented, read, etc. but I'm going to devote my time and minimum talent elsewhere on the interwebs.

Peace out.

Monday, October 24, 2011

NONA - NONA Reloaded (2011)

NONA is a West Chester, PA-based punk rock band that writes catchy and well-crafted songs with kick-ass melodies and sheer moxie in the vein of early Superchunk or a slightly updated version of Tiger Trap.

This 5-song EP is basically a reworking (reloaded, get it?) of their demo, released previously this year. Check this out, kiddies!

NONA - Reloaded (2011; self-released)

17.4 mb, ripped at 320 kbps

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds Of (2001)

Stars of the Lid are by far my favorite ambient group; if you ever wondered what to listen to while you read on the couch with a mug of chamomile tea, look no further than this record. Have you ever wondered what the noise between space stations and satellites sounds like? How about the sounds of mice tunneling under snow?

And if you want to fall asleep to their languorous, slow-churning, drony textures; please do...

...I think that's the whole point of this record.

Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds Of (2001; Kranky Records)

285.9 mb; ripped at 320 kbps

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Sonic Youth - Goo (1990)

Dear Kim & Thurston,

Seriously guys, this is an October Fools' joke, right? I mean, c'mon, you guys- you're like indie rock royalty and stuff, you can't do this to us. At least stay together for the fans.

And Mark Jacobs, too. I mean, next time he debuts a fashion line and you two aren't there front and center wearing shredded thrift store gear and looking super uninterested in everything, it's gonna be weird.

But you're not breaking up the band, right? I hear it's still cool and all, like musically and stuff. I should've known something was up when you got the bro from Pavement to play bass so Kim could look cooler singing and playing her guitar (which was probably turned way down, thanks Lee). I can't believe this.

It was Thurston, right? Did you bang someone else, dude? It was one of these new indie rock goddess-types, like Zola Jesus or Alice Glass or that dude from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs*.

This kinda sucks guys.

Whatever, here's Goo.

Maybe I'll post a Sonic Youth record every day until you either get back together or the band breaks up.

* - Karen O is actually an alien.

Sonic Youth - Goo (1990; DGC Records)

47 mb; ripped at 128 kbps

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Ween - Caesar Demos (2011)

Ween did an album in 2003 called Quebec; before it was released it was tentatively titled "Caesar" and there were a bunch of extras and outtakes just laying around, so there's basically 15 tracks here never released and 14 alternate versions of the tracks (including an alt. version of Ooh Vah Lah which was a Japan-only release on the original album), so 16 unreleased tracks and 13 demos.

Besides for the 70 times I've seen Phish and another 15+ times for Medeski Martin & Wood, I've lost track of how many times I've seen Ween; probably around 10 (but not since 2003, go figure). So here's the Caesar Demos, also available free from Ween.net.

BOOGNISH!

Ween - Caesar Demos (2011; self-released)

143.3 mb, ripped at 192 kbps

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Freestyle Fellowship - To Whom It May Concern... (1991)

Aceyalone, Self Jupiter, P.E.A.C.E., J. Sumbi & Myka Nyne; the anti-gangsta rap from the West Coast- these guys were kinda like the De La Soul of the L.A. scene. When everyone else (N.W.A., Ice-T, et. al.) were rapping about gats and hoes, these five MCs were waxing poetic on the state of welfare, education, higher consciousness, yeah.

Even though it's 20 years old, it doesn't sound the least bit dated. Give it a spin...

Freestyle Fellowship - To Whom It May Concern... (1991; Sun Music)

50.9 mb, VBR avg ~ 132 kbps

Tabla Beat Science - Live in San Francisco at Stern Grove (2002)

One of my favorite releases of the last ten years, combines dub reggae bass lines (from Bill Laswell) with multiple tabla percussionists (Zakir Hussain, Talvin Singh and Trilok Gurtu), scratching and turntablism from DJ Disk, drums and programming from Karsh Kale and the master of the sarangi, Sultan Khan.

Traditional Hindustani music meets electronic in a live performance in SF's Stern Grove; be sure to check this out.

Tabla Beat Science - Live in San Francisco at Stern Grove (2002; Palm Pictures)

140.9 mb, ripped at 192 kbps

Bert Jansch - Bert Jansch (1965)

I was sad to hear of Bert's passing earlier this week, wish I could have seen him play. Another legend gone but not forgotten. Here's his 1974 album LA Turnaround I shared back in April of 2010, for those so inclined: http://out-sounds.blogspot.com/2010/04/bert-jansch-la-turnaround-1974.html

But here's the 1965 debut; his guitar playing is deft and nimble- I remember reading somewhere that Jimmy Page lifted Bron-Yr-Aur from one of Jansch's arrangements. He was also highly regarded by (as well as being an influence on) Nick Drake, Richard Thompson, Johnny Marr and Neil Young.

Bert was 67 years old.