Ty Segall - s/t

(Request)

Oh my goodness. A very impressive debut full-length from a BBQ-esque one man band from Cali. Fuzzy surf/garage is always good, but Ty Segall is the real deal. Soul-drenched vocals with reverb that would make John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees proud. Good enough to make a run for our top 10 albums of the year list.

- Dan

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Jack of Heart - All Grey 7'' + San Fransisco 7''

(Request)

As far as I know, both of these 7''s are untitled, and as far as I know, these are the only legitimate releases from the band thus far (one courtesy of Nasty Product, and the other from Rob's House), so, in other words, the distance of my knowing is not very far at all. I do know they have a full length LP coming soon from In the Red Records, and they show loads of promise. There isn't too much that sets them apart from many of the other bands on In the Red, which is both a good and bad thing. Yes, I feel I've heard this before, but they're also pretty damn good at what they do. They fit perfectly into my standards of what punk music should sound like. Although this is not quite as scuzzy as The Black Lips, it still makes me want to drink a 40 and join the Moped Army.

- Dan

Download Grey + San Fransisco

Apollo Sunshine - Shall Noise Upon

Shall Noise Upon was released a couple of months back, received well by critics, and yet for some reason there isn't even the slightest amount of buzz around this album or the direction Apollo Sunshine is taking their music in. It's not like this record can get lost in the shuffle-- 2008 hasn't been a stellar year for new tunes. Mainstream music press be damned, I'm here to tell you that this is one of the finest musical achievement of the year. Apollo Sunshine have crafted a beautiful collection of songs that evokes the heyday of The Elephant 6 Collective but with a propensity to veer their songs into wild, uncharted sonic territory. In many ways Shall Noise Upon is controlled psychedelic chaos, but the band never lets you forget that it is first and foremost a pop record.

- Steve

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Little Claw - Spit and Squalor Swallow the Snow

A friend and I saw these guys and girl in Detroit a few years back, and halfway through their set my friend noticed that the drummer, who looked like he had never played the drums before in his life, was playing his brother's drumset that his father recently sold to his uncle. After realizing this, he realizes that the drummer is his cousin, who we've seen at virtually every show we've been to since then, including Pitchfork this summer. The trio relocated from Michigan to Oregon, and recorded a really solid album last year. It's hard to throw them into any specific genre, but it's really easy to throw them in every genre. There's a little psych, no-wave, experimental, punk, and scuzz pop in the mix. I wasn't impressed by their live show back when I saw them, but it seems as if they are coming into their own now, and my friend's cousin has either been replaced, or they rotate drummers because he doesn't seem to be in some of the more recent videos I've seen of them on youtube. Anyways, it's the strong tranced female vocals and churning guitars that make this album worth listening to.

- Dan

Download Spit and Squalor Swallow the Snow

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Electric Avenue Chapter 8

(Request)

Their first release under the Black Moth Super Rainbow name. A 9 track Japanese mini CD released in 2003. I'd say this is a little more dramatic than some of their newer material, a little less super, but still very stoned. Black Moth Contemplative Rainbow maybe? Really good stuff, but not their easiest listening release.

- Dan

Download Electric Avenue Chapter 8

Thee Oh Sees - Peanut Butter Oven EP

(Request)

For whatever reason, this EP is really hard to find. In print, out-of-print, who knows? how many copies? It's sold out according to their myspace, but apparently they want to keep this one in print, and your only chance of getting it would be at one of their shows since the "label" it was released on doesn't even have a website as far as I know. 4 tracks, all good, not as good as anything on The Masters Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In, but a must-have 12'' nonetheless.

- Dan

Download Peanut Butter Oven EP

Celebration - s/t

(Request)

Not really my cup of tea, but it's better than a lot of things. Check their Myspace for a listen.

- Dan

Download Celebration

Prussia - Dear Emily, Best Wishes, Molly

Local Detroit bands are generally associated with either trying to sound like The Stooges, The Sonics, or some mishmash of the two in order to embrace the garage rock sound the city is so deeply rooted in. Yeah, that shit is important, and hey, a lot of the bands that run with that shtick are pretty damn good (I think Dan and I could both gush over The Go for hours like hormone crazed pre-teen girls). Every once in while I would like to see some fucking variety. Prussia delivers in spades. These guys are able to look back even further and draw heavily from the likes of doo-wop and motown to bring something both raw and incredibly endearing to the table where other less talented bands could easily fail. Prussia doesn't want to be pidgeonholed (and lord knows you couldn't if you tried) but their obvious influences give the audience an immediate and familiar connection. Lets not forget either that these are skinny white kids, so the end product sounds something like Animal Collective thrown in the back of Doc Brown's Delorean and transported to 1955 where they play the enchantment under the sea dance. If you're from a record label and you're reading this, give these guys a fuck ton of money so they can put out another cool record and gain some national attention. If you're just a regular guy/gal that enjoys fantastic music, pick up a copy of this record on vinyl. Prussia's sound really shines when you hear it on wax, and besides, I think the LP is only $10 at Insound.

- Steve

Download Dear Emily, Best Wishes, Molly

Akimbo - Jersey Shores

(LINK FIXED 11/14/08)

"Akimbo are back with another hearty ass-kicking that will remain a paramount moment of their recording careers. Inspired by the infamous and bizarre legacy left from a string of shark attacks that occurred in the Garden State in 1916, Jersey Shores isn't just metal, hardcore, or punk rock. Instead, it reminds us why rock and roll was so hated and loathed in when it first arrived. Loud, riotous, rebellious, and defiant are just a few reasons that come to mind. Recorded over a three-month period at Headbanging Kill Your Mama Music in Louisville, Kentucky, with Chris Owens (Coliseum, Breather Resist) while the band subsisted on a diet of ramen, frozen pizzas and, of course, beer, Jersey Shores isn't the heavy/loud music that one would steal from the tape deck of an older brother's '87 Ford Escort. Nor is it simply an abrasive assortment of gliding guitar riffs on steroids and guttural growls-it's also a hideous hybrid of doom and noise-core that takes no prisoners while its big hairy balls hang out. Make no mistake-history will see Jersey Shores as the moment where Akimbo joined the elder statesmen of heavy music." courtesy of Neurot Recordings

This is by far the best metal record I've come across this year. Heavy, unyielding, and abrasive without any of the uber-serious metal male macho bravado. Plus it's a concept album about sharks ripping people apart. Awesome. Buy a few copies of so they can come to Detroit or Kalamazoo the next time they're on tour.

- Steve

Download Jersey Shores