Portugal. The Man - Waiter: "You Vultures!" [2006]

I will hopefully be going to see Portugal. The Man, my favorite Alaskan quartet, tomorrow, so I decided to put up my favorite release from the band for ya'll to enjoy. This album is definitely one of my favorite albums ever created; there is just so much to love about it.

From the first opening notes of How The Leopard Got Its Spots until the final mechanical dissonance of Guns. Guns... Guns, and throughout all the songs in between, there is such a cool feeling projected by the music. It is laid back, yet so complex and technical sounding. You can hear so many layers to this music, from the guitar hooks, to the melodic keyboards, to the electronic backbeat, to the perfectly fitting vocals, and it all comes together beautifully.

Not only is the music amazing, the lyrics are just as profound and talented. Lines like "If I were a god I'd be the greatest of all, With a speech so soft that loud it would kill you, Standing up tall from the top of that hill, I'd shout out commands to down below," and "We'll take steps to make sure our failures are hidden" show that talent. Other lyrics on the album are not nearly as serious, but more trippy and humerous, like "Shout at pavement that's sprouting up turnips, Who are shouting right back, "We don't need your lectures!" Also, the album art is one of my favorite covers, and the image matches the music exactly.

This album is without a doubt a solid listen; if you haven't heard it yet definitely check it out. It is classy, soulful, and unique and would be at home playing in the background at a coffee shop, in the car with the windows rolled down on a hot summer day, or on your record player in your house. Its mellow goodness is like soul food.

Genre: Indie, Experimental, Progressive

For Fans Of: Minus The Bear, Circa Survive, The Dear Hunter

Contact: Website
Tracklisting:

1. How the Leopard Got Its Spots
2. Gold Fronts
3. Stables & Chairs
4. AKA M80 The Wolf
5. Marching With 6
6. Elephants
7. Waiter
8. Chicago
9. Bad, Bad Levi Brown

10. Kill Me. The King
11. Tommy

12. Horse Warming Party

13. Guns.Guns...Guns

-T

Circa Survive - Imaginary Enemy [Official Video]

The music video for Circa Survive's "Imaginary Enemy" is here and it's seriously dope. Check it out:

I want to start posting a music video every Tuesday, the Music Video of the Week, if I can find enough that are as awesome as this.

Peace,

-T

Circa Survive - Juturna [2005]

After kicking the Saosin habit in 2004, Anthony Green returned to Pennsylvania and began working with his friend Colin Frangicetto to form Circa Survive. Juturna is Circa's first full length disc (released little over a month after the Inuit Sessions) and it sets a standard for the rest of their music. Post-hardcore rhythms and airy guitars are the basis for the sound, but Green's distinctly high-pitched and melodic vocals is what gives the group it's impressive feel. The lyrical content pulls from a few different influences, but mainly the novel House of Leave and the films Boondock Saints and Sunshine For The Spotless Mind (<-good show). The album kicks off in high gear with Act Appalled but slows down near the middle as shown in songs such as In Fear And Faith and We're All Thieves before hitting another high point at Oh, Hello before ending with the acoustic Meet Me In Montauk and "secret" track House of Leaves. Ambient and exciting, this record is one of the reasons 2005 was a great year in music.

Genre: Melodic Post-Hardcore, Progressive, Experimental
For Fans Of: Coheed and Cambria, Portugal. The Man, Anthony Green
Contact: Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. Holding Someone's Hair Back
2. Act Appalled
3. Wish Resign
4. The Glorious Nosebleed
5. In Fear and Faith
6. The Great Golden Baby
7. Stop the Fuckin' Car
8. We're All Thieves
9. Oh, Hello
10. Always Getting What You Want
11. Meet Me in Montauk

-T&A

Scary Kids Scaring Kids - Discography

Well, the great guys in SKSK are breaking up and we shall be seeing them tomorrow. I've had so many good memories come from this group it's sad to see them disband. They may be one of the few bands that all of my friends like, I guess the music just captures a piece of each of us. But enough about my memories and more about the music. SKSK combines post-hardcore with keyboard lead lines and makes some beautiful noise. Between Tyson Stevens' screams and beautiful vocal lines are Pouyan Afkary's haunting and exciting synth melodies that guide the listener from light ballad to heavy breakdown. The band only put out 2 full length CDs and an EP but they all carry their weight.

-A

Pre-Order Time!

Hey guys,
So two of the albums I am the most excited for this year (Circa Survive and Coheed) are now available for pre-order! And one new song from each new album is available to listen to on both the band's websites. The new Circa song "Get Out" is especially tasty. You should definitely check them out and if you like them pre-order them and if you don't you fail at life.
Links:
http://www.circasurvive.com/
http://www.coheedandcambria.com/us/yotbr

PS. The album art for the new Circa album is sick


- A

Albums We're Stoked For In 2010

The 2000's was a great decade in music, but you have to keep moving on. So with 2010 just kicking off, we thought we'd share some of our most anticipated releases for this year.

- Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow
- Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise
- Foxy Shazam - Foxy Shazam
- Minus the Bear - TBA
- Portugal. the Man - American Ghetto
- Tera Melos - TBA
- Seve vs Evan - Re-release of the first 2 albums
- Isles and Glaciers - The Hearts of Lonely People
- Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life
- Rufio - The Full Reality
- Angels and Airwaves - Love
- Sum 41 - TBA
- Fang Island - Fang Island
- Be Like Pablo - TBA
- Jet Lag Gemini - TBA
- MGMT - Congratulations
- Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground - Introducing Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
- Sick Transit - TBA
- Streetlight Manifesto - 99 Songs of Revolutions: Volume No. 1
- Enter Shikari - Tribalism

These haven't been 2010 confirmed, but we'd like to hope they'll be hitting shelves this year.

- This Town Needs Guns - TBA
- The Dear Hunter - Act IV
- Seve vs Evan - TBA
- Bayside - TBA
- Chiodos - TBA
- Weerd Science - Sick Kids
- Blink 182 - TBA
- The Mars Volta - TBA
- bygones - TBA
- Giraffes? Giraffes! - TBA
- Mours - TBA

In making this list, we discovered some awesome releases we didn't know were happening. Here's hoping all of our wildest dreams come true this year.