Thursday, December 31, 2009
Year of the coelacanth.
Happy New Year folks. Just taking a couple more days off, and will be back this weekend, perhaps with a best-of the decade album list. Thanks for your support and kind regards throughout 2009.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Splitting the Difference # 36 - Jimmy Eat World/Emery 7" (1995, Ordinary)

Emery, who I have little biographical info about, inhabited a place called Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Their spirited contribution here, the dissonant "Flesher," makes a convincing case for the band aspiring to the status of Drive Like Jehu proteges of sorts. I think these guys also have a 7" of their own that I have tucked away somewhere...
A. Jimmy Eat World - Better Than Oh
Monday, December 28, 2009
Pollyanna - Long Player (1996, Mushroom)

01. Big Bully
02. Piston
03. Cut the Cake
04. 16 and Counting
05. Bakelite
06. Keep Me Guessing
07. Electric Cardigan Rock
08. Lemonsuck
09. Potomac
10. Squeeze
11. T-shirt Tan
12. Railride
13. Kickboard
14. Long Player
http://www117.zippyshare.com/v/UvcQBR7T/file.html
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Steve Blimkie and the Reason - s/t (1979, Ready)
01. Break My Heart Tomorrow
02. It Only Happened Twice
03. All I Want is You Alone
04. Can't Say I'm Sorry
05. Now That You Say You Love Me
06. On the Edge
07. Subway
08. As I Am
09. I Got This Feeling
10. Now That You Say You Love Me
https://www9.zippyshare.com/v/RlA11xeh/file.html
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Smithereens - 21 CD Mega Box Set! (2005)
Happy Holidays!
Update 12/28/09: I know a lot of you were looking forward to hearing these recordings, but it has been requested that I remove them immediately. My apologizes, and thanks for your appreciative comments.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Chapterhouse - Pearls and Treasures (1990-91) Reupload!
It was recently brought to my attention that one of the links for the fan-curated Chapterhouse radio sessions/live compilation, Pearls and Treasures I posted last year was dead. Click on the hyperlink in the last sentence to go back to the original post containing the track list and source info. The new Rapidshare link (consolidated into one file this time) is below.
http://www46.zippyshare.com/v/csaabNzS/file.html
http://www46.zippyshare.com/v/csaabNzS/file.html
Monday, December 21, 2009
Single Bullet Theory - 1979 demos

01. Peggy Got Her Eyes Full
02. Miss Two Knives
03. Winter is Melting Away
04. Keep It Tight
05. Tell Me the Answer
06. I Got a Secret
07. Anxious
08. I Know Better Now
09. Rockers Night Out
http://www119.zippyshare.com/v/dppCxIWr/file.html
Saturday, December 19, 2009
And everything is going to the beat... 2009: The year in rear view, and the genius of Passion Pit.


Though far from mainstream, the band is hardly underground at this point, which means a lot of you have already experienced them firsthand. While I’m not at liberty to share the readily available Manners, I’ve opted instead to put together a “starter kit” of sorts, containing remixes of four crucial album cuts, and two outtakes from their 2008 ep Chunk of Change, “Batty Lashes” and “Tons of Guns.” As most remixes go, they’re not exactly representative of the LP versions, so to round things out a little more, I’m also sharing their entire live set from this years Glastonbury festival! The links and tracklists are at the tail end of the post.
Yes, there was other stuff occupying my CD player and turntable this year. Also of note was the equally out of character indulgence, Owl City, yet another Casio-kissed contender churning out sublime (in fact, downright utopic) keyboard confections. Superdrag brought forth a great reunion disk, Industry Giants, while Taking Back Sunday, Built to Spill, The Marked Men, and Thermals unleashed reliably satisfying albums as well. Inspired newcomers like Japandroids, Telekenesis, and I Was a King sweetened the pot to fine effect. Mission of Burma delivered their most roiling post-reunion album yet, and Julian Casablancas (of Strokes fame) stunned with a bracing debut solo effort that I never saw coming. There was also Waking Up Birds from the little discussed Bernadettes, the latest endeavor from the ex-frontman (who shall remain unnamed) of The Braves/Evergreen Trio, an album only available via e-mail request for an extremely limited time. Thankfully, for your sake, there's a Rapidshare link to the whole thing below. Alongside my Top 20 and honorable mentions, are my fave reissues and such of 2009. I'd say that's enough typing for one day. Enjoy, and if you're up for more Passion Pit visit them on Myspace, and check out a plethora of live goodies and sessions on Peenko blog.
20 albums that made 2009 more tolerable:
01. Passion Pit – Manners (French Kiss/Columbia)
02. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – s/t (Slumberland)
03. Owl City – Ocean Eyes (Universal)
04. Two Tongues – s/t (Vagrant)
05. Built to Spill – There is No Enemy (WB)
06. Superdrag – Industry Giants (Thirty Tigers)
07. Japandroids – Post-Nothing (Polyvinyl)
08. The Bernadettes – Waking Up Birds (self released)
09. Taking Back Sunday – New Again (WB)
10. Julian Casablancas – Phrazes for the Young (RCA)
11. Marked Men – Ghosts (Dirtnap)
12. I Was a King – s/t (The Control Group)
13. Tinted Windows – s/t (S-Curve)
14. Manic Street Preachers – Journal For Plague Lovers (Sony UK)
15. Vinyl Candy – Land (self released)
16. Telekenesis – Telekenesis! (Merge)
17. Mission of Burma – The Sound, The Speed, The Light (Matador)
18. Silversun Pickups – Swoon (Dangerbird)
19. Thermals – Now We Can See (Kill Rock Stars)
20. Doves – Kingdom of Rust (Astralwerks)
Bubbling under:
Doug Gillard – Call From Restricted
Citified – Absence ep (Eskimo Kiss)
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Higher Than the Stars ep (Slumberland)
Pete Yorn – Back and Fourth (Sony)
Dinosaur Jr. – Farm (Jagjaguar)
Mew – No More Stories (Sony)
Superchunk – Leaves in the Gutter ep (Merge)
Bostons Spaceships – Zero to 99 (GBV Records)
Mansions – New Best Friends (Doghouse)
Chad Price – Smile Sweet Face (Suburban Home)
Top reissues, deluxe editions, anthologies, etc...
01. Big Drill Car – A Never Ending Endeavor (Variant)
02. Close Lobsters – Forever Until Victory! The Singles Collection (Fire)
03. Big Star – Keep and Eye on the Sky box (Rhimo)
04. The Stone Roses – s/t (Silvertone/Legacy)
05. Jane’s Addiction – A Cabinet of Curiosities box (WB/Rhino)
06. Loop – A Gilded Eternity/Heavens End (Reactor)
07. The A’s – The A’s/A Woman’s Got the Power (American Beat)
08. The Vaselines – Enter the Vaselines (Sub Pop)
09. Volcano Suns – The Bright Orange Years/All Night Lotus Party (Merge)
10. V/A – Souvenirs: Little Gems of Pop (Sound Asleep)
11. The Undertones – s/t (Salvo/Union Square)
12. The Neats – 1981-84 The Ace of Hearts Years (Ace of Hearts)
13. The Sinceros – The Sound of Sunbathing (Cherry Red)
14. The Ergs! – Hindsight is 20/20 My Friend (Dirtnap)
15. REM – Reckoning (IRS)
16. Pylon – Chomp (More) (DFA)
17. Nirvana – Bleach (Sub Pop)
18. The Passions – Thirty Thousand Feet Over China (Cherry Red)
19. CIV – The Complete Discography (Equal Vision)
20. Sunny Day Real Estate – Diary/LP2 (Sub Pop)
Passion Pit starter kit:
01. The Reeling (Calvin Harris Remix)
02. Sleepyhead (Neo Tokyo Remix)
03. Little Secrets (Hey Champ Remix)
04. To Kingdom Come (Artwork Remix)
05. Batty Lashes (Chunk of Change outtake)
06. Tons of Guns (Chunk of Change outtake)
Passion Pit - live at Glastonbury 6/27/09:
01. Better Things
02. Make Light
03. Let Your Love Grow Tall
04. Folds In Your Hands
05. Moth's Wings
06. Sleepyhead
07. Smile upon Me
08. The Reeling
Passion Put starter kit: http://www70.zippyshare.com/v/E2hfwRNM/file.html
live at Glastonbury: http://www70.zippyshare.com/v/od87wMO7/file.html
Thursday, December 17, 2009
A Picture Made - Past ep (1988, Mammoth)

01. Little Boy Wisdom
02. Easter on a Train
03. A New Day
04. Past
05. Throw Some Light My Way
06. Red Wheelbarrow
https://www39.zippyshare.com/v/VfvBia64/file.html
The Dice - s/t ep (1983, NARDEM)
Their self-titled debut album was recorded at the Hit Factory in New York and was produced by Rolling Stones' producer Chris Kimsey; released in 1984, it featured performances by Peter Frampton and Chuck Leavell (Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, Black Crowes), and also boasted a dancing performance by Mick Jagger on one song. The first two singles, "Chayla" and "Calling In The Rain", achieved heavy rotation on a number of radio stations across Canada and the video for "Chayla" was added to the rotation lists of both MuchMusic and MTV. (from Canoe.ca)
As for the ep, which preceded said full length by a year, the material here is borderline AOR, a la the Payolas, with a smidge of Stonesy swagger informing it's choicest track, "Typical Lies." I should note that this track and "Ain't Gonna Lose (No More)" are listed in the wrong order on the back cover. Enjoy, and check out the remainder of the Dice's bio per the link above.
01. Holding On to the Night
02. Tony
03. Typical Lies
04. Ain't Gonna Lose (No More)
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Wardells - Now (1988, Zulu)
01. Breakout
02. Get You to Want Me
03. I'm in a Hurry
04. Nothing Grows Around Zero
05. The Last Word
06. I Want to Duke the Waitress
07. Breakwatch
08. Small Talk
09. Coming Back From the Dead
10. Be Stupid
11. Old at Heart
plus: Laughing Instead
http://www115.zippyshare.com/v/6Z1XgDIp/file.html
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Prudes - Designer Karma (1991, Imaginary)

Formed in 1987, The Prudes probably blended in a little too well with overshadowing, pre-Britpop contemporaries like The Candy Skins, Stone Roses, early-Soup Dragons, and even the Close Lobsters. Not quite jangly enough to be lumped in with the C86'ers, but far more linear than the Madchester burnouts nipping at their heels, The Prudes were quite simply a highly adept band that slipped through the cracks. None of their records (namely this LP produced by the late Adrian Borland, and a handful of singles) were released outside of Britain, and regretfully I don't own any original copies myself. Once again, this post was made possible through the generous file traders on Soulseek. If you're craving more, you can hear a non-lp Prudes selection on the blog linked above.
01. Designer Karma
02. You're Changing Into Something That I Don't Like (And So Am I)
03. Powerful Brain (Why Don't You Use It)
04. Never Penetrate
04. Never Penetrate
05. Peace Is Milk
06. Your Beautiful Depression
07. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb
08. Surrender Dorothy
09. True Religion
10. Something Tells Me That Nothing's Going To Happen Tonight
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
V/A - Here Comes the Summer: The Undertones Tribute Compilation (1996, Square Target)

01. Cub - Here Comes The Summer
02. Pansy Division - Male Model
03. Deflowers - You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It)
04. Clay Wheels - Top 20
05. UFOFU - Wednesday Week
06. Smugglers - (She's A) Runaround
07. Figgs - Boys Will Be Boys
08. Vacant Lot - More Songs About Chocolate And Girls
09. Queers - Get Over You
10. Pluto - Girls Don't Like It
11. Milkduds - Mars Bars
12. Shambles - It's Going To Happen
13. Odd Numbers - Teenage Kicks
14. Racetrain - Casbah Rock
https://www28.zippyshare.com/v/a2Yjqzs4/file.html
The Oysters - Green Eggs and Ham (1985, Taang!)

01. Reeperbahn
02. On Special
03. Never Promised
04. Make it All Up to You
05. Headache
06. Headhunter
07. Ballantine Stomp
08. Tropic Rock
09. Do You Hate Me?
10. Feel Like a Dope
https://www99.zippyshare.com/v/1vcUhudn/file.html
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Band 19 - Dictate ep (1985, Modern Method)
01. Your Eyes
02. Animal Grey
03. When It's Over
04. Don't Want Anymore
05. No Why
http://www59.zippyshare.com/v/2uD6ukOD/file.html
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Pan Am Down - Orange Avenue Sessions ep (2009)


01. A Walk in the Former Yugoslavia
02. Winter Near a Great Lake
03. Sweet Wishes From Afar
04. Seems Like the Times
plus: Tomorrow's Silence (from One CD)
http://www98.zippyshare.com/v/UGczxdo9/file.html
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The Killjoys - Melos Modos (1998, WEA Canada)

01. Perfect Pizza
02. Beckon Call-Girl
03. Honesty Mistake
04. I've Been Good
05. Sandalwood and 50
06. That's All
07. One Goodbye
08. Unpaid
09. Lucky Me
10. Cheerleader Type
11. Weeds and Worms
12. Rocketsleep
http://www29.zippyshare.com/v/wWPqM92u/file.html
Friday, December 4, 2009
Power of Dreams - Slowdown CDS & There I Go Again CDS + 10" ep (1992, Polydor UK)


There I Go Again CDS
01. There I Go Again
02. Follow (Slight Return)
03. Suburbia
04. Anxious
There I Go Again 10"
01. There I Go Again
02. Pale Blue Eyes
03. The Cross
04. Fall
Slowdown CDS
01. Slowdown
02. Fatherland
03. I Know You Well
04. Sorry Update 12/21/09: Hate to do this to you folks, but I had a take down requst for these. The good news is that you can buy the There I Go Again cd single on Itunes, and perhaps Slowdown to follow.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Popsicle - Lacquer (1993, Telegram/Soap)

The near-mesmerising Lacquer was the first of three albums, and I'd be apt to argue it was their finest moment at that. Popsicle wizardly juxtapositioned lucid, buoyant pop with dizzying surges of power chords, (albeit not always in the confines of the same song) hemmed together with a bazillion hooks that set in like India ink. Not unlike the trio of bands I rattled off above, for me Popsicle's most unique facet was a singer (Andreas Mattson) who's pipes bore a significant resemblance to Bernard Sumner of New Order. In fact, if New Order had spilled over into the Poptopia neighborhood for a spell they'd probably sound something like this. At any rate, I can't heap enough praise onto this disk, so enjoy.
01. Hey Princess
02. Popcorn
03. Undulate
04. How Come We
05. Pale Honey
06. Irreplaceable
07. She
08. Template
09. True
10. A Song Called Liberty
11. Bird
12. Sandy
13. Slow
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Even the Odd - s/t (1989, Wanga)
01. Drowning Man
02. What it Means to Lie
03. Fool in the Dark
04. Mendietta
05. Spilled Milk
06. One X One
07. Cos You're Here
08. Red Tape
09. I'll Wait
10. Devil's Breed
11. untitled instrumental
http://www76.zippyshare.com/v/40357159/file.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)